ESE Training and UpdatesAugust 2011

1

Today’s Topics

Introductions Transfer Procedures Compliance Visit – April 2011 Special Education Funding New ACTION Form Prior Written Notice (PWN)

2

ESE Staff Highlights

Lead Psychologists– Gayle Devers (Due Process, Private School/Homeschooled,

District 504 Coordinator)

– Mary Kennington (Procedures, Assessment Materials)

Lead Teacher - Susan Conrad – Intensive Resource Requests, Instruction and Instructional

Materials, EXCENT

Lead Speech/Language and Assistive Technology – Kathy Hasting

Transition Coordinator – Brenda Graham3

ESE Office Staff – Ext. 1085

Mary Van Lieu – Lead Office Admin., Referrals, Federal & State reports, ChildFind

Diane Evans – Bookkeeping, Medicaid Carol Lambert - Medical Homebound, ESE

Homebased services (AES) Betsey Williams – IEP and referral compliance Amanda Knight – Records, Transfers, Agency

Contacts

4

New Staff

Tyler Kirby – Resource at NWHS Marlie Southern - Resource at NWHS Robert Bourne – MultiCatII at RHHS Priti Sata – Resource at RHHS Sarah Beth Ellis - Resource at SPHS Brittney Smith Huffman – ED Self-Contained at ODES Karen Kniffin-Martin – Resource at STMS Alexandria Roman – Deaf and Hard of Hearing Jan Sabetti – Resource at RWES

5

All ESE Staff are Stars!

The Stars Who Got the Attention! Kelly Hollingsworth – MHES and the district! Kristina Marshall - RDES Amy Koterba – Sylvia Circle Elem. Kelly Carolan – ESE Dept. Ryan Hinkleman - YRES Sebrina Rhodan - EBES

6

Tough Starts - Transfers

No change to Transfer Procedures Need to follow the Transfer Procedures

– Define an “on call” order– IDEA says “comparable services provided

immediately…”– NO ONE is sent to the FLEX Center– Packet must be completed and turned in to the

FLEX Center within 5 school days

7

Transfers – Oh, Don’t Forget…

No meeting has to take place in order for services to start– You can meet later, after the student starts

Don’t try to “second guess” another team’s work.

If you accept an out-of-district IEP, you will have to do Progress Reports by hand and turn them in.

8

Compliance Visit (April, 2011)

Federal Compliance Procedures– 83-item IEP review check list– 40 student folders

Required Corrections– Hold meetings and correct specific issues with the 40

folders– Define staff development to correct issues at the district

level Will pull 40 more files in April 2012 Required Monthly ESE Meetings

9

Compliance Visit (April, 2011)

Major Findings of the Visit– Prior Written Notice (PWN) not always being

completed, documented, or given to parents– Poor present levels of performance– Goals do not match student need/Goals

developed for programs/not students– Required staff not at meetings– “Sloppy” completion of IEPs

Box not checked? Item was not discussed.– Re-evals require a new, updated IEP

10

Corrective Actions

Fix the 40 IEPs– “Authors of the issues” will have to make the

corrections– Hold meetings– Corrections completed by Oct.15

11

Corrective Actions

Preparing for the Next 40– Changes to ACTION Form– Changes in procedures and defined expectations

IEP monitoring Higher accountability

– Monthly ESE Training Meetings Review procedures and application Training on IEP components

– “Beef-up” LEA alertness

12

What’s With The Funding?

Main Funding Sources for Special Ed. State Funds (General Fund - EFA) Federal Funds (IDEA, Medicaid) Stimulus Funds (IDEA) – going, going, gone!

Almost ALL funds now go to salaries!

In the news this summer….

13

Importance of EFA Funding

Largest Source of Funding Students in Special Ed. are “weighted” to

provide state funds for the increase in cost of providing specialized instruction.

To “maximize” our EFA funding:– Improve communication between SIS clerk and

special ed. staff Turn in Special Ed. paperwork on time (5-day rule) New ACTION Form

14

New ACTION Form

3 pages– Special Ed. compliance information– EFA coding – Funding, Transportation & Testing precodes

– Conference Notes

ACTION form is the “cover” document Teacher is responsible for completing and

sending in to Betsey NEW! ESE office will send the ACTION form to

the SIS CLERK15

ACTION Form What’s NEW?

1. All SpEd compliance information in now on page 1 (streamlined to essential information only)

2. New PowerSchool information has been added (In box on Page 1 and Page 2 checklist)

3. New PS items will eliminate the need for completion of State Testing Precode and Special Transportation databases in Dec.

4. Documentation of when PWN is sent/provided to parent (Page 3)

5. You will only have to send packet to ESE (Betsey), and we will take care of the rest!

Notes on Conference Notes

Avoid great detail; use general statements. Don’t try to record all points of a discussion;

note that a discussion took place Consider using bullets Be sure to adequately and clearly describe

the action, especially if you are amending the IEP, recording an exit, or a transfer

17

Another Required Form - PWN

Complete the form for each meeting and action – EXCENT form or RHSD3 form

Document that PWN was sent to parents– ACTION Form

PWN adequately expresses requests of parents and actions of the team– Don’t “spin”– Be clear– Provide rationale and data for all actions

18

PWN Refresher Course?

Training PowerPoint is on the ESE Website http://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/exceptionalstud

enteducation/iepresources.aspx

19

If It’s Sent AFTER the Meeting, Why Is It Called “Prior”?

Prior to the decisions being acted upon Prior to the ACTION taking place Not prior to the IEP meeting Not prior to discussions/decisions

Answering ALL the required questions prior to the meeting suggests predetermination and

that’s a violation of due process rights!

20

Predetermination:Loose Lips Sink Ships!

21

All Together Now!

“We’ll need to call an IEP team together to discuss that.”

I can’t say – that’s an IEP team decision. We’ll need to discuss that with the team. I can’t talk about that outside of an IEP team

meeting. “I can’t say. I’m not a member of your child’s

IEP team.”

22

All Together Now!

“We’ll need an IEP meeting to consider that request.”

“Program placement is an IEP team decision.”

“The school and teacher placement is an administrative decision.”

23

New This Year!

– New Speech Referral Procedures– Re-evaluations

New/Updated IEPs Initial FBAs

– Manifestation Procedures for Administrators Help them count to 10!

– Nursing Services on the IEP Kids with IHPs

– Transportation on the IEP– Changes to Self-Contained Programs

24

Re-evals – Not an Isolated Event!

When a re-eval takes place, a new IEP must be opened– Annual review (coordinate with your psych)– Special review

Present levels must be updated– Special review? Add new info and the meeting date

under existing data– Annual review? Rewrite using current information

Initial FBAs require a re-eval (and psych)!

25

Manifestation Procedures for Administrators – Hold a Meeting?

Page 1 – Rules for OSS Know when a manifestation meeting MUST

be held Know when an IEP meeting SHOULD be

held ISS or OSS? Access to services and

coursework

26

Manifestation Procedures for Administrators – Yes or NO!

Page 2 – Dealing with the Findings NO YES

– Short-term/long term CANNOT be applied!– IEP team must conduct an FBA/modify the BIP and return

the student, unless Special circumstances Parents agree to change of placement (DO NOT OVERUSE!)

AES services are not to be offered or provided in lieu of a long-term suspension or expulsion. The IEP team cannot choose to place a student on AES instead of proceeding with the suspension hearing.

27

Yes or No? That is the Question!

04/18/23 28

Rebound and Students with IEPs

The IEP team must consider student’s participation at Rebound – change of placement. The IEP should be amended to reflect placement at Rebound.

– Administration cannot unilaterally place a IEP student at Rebound

A manifestation is not required for placement, UNLESS there is a disciplinary action that takes the student over the 10 day limit.

The IEP team at the student’s home school remains responsible for the student’s IEP program.

– An IEP meeting is held as the student returns to his/her home school.

Manifestations and Rebound

If a manifestation meeting is needed while the student is at Rebound, it is necessary that both Rebound and the home school work together– Rebound contacts the home school psychologist

to schedule a manifestation meeting with the home school IEP team

– A Rebound representative familiar with the disciplinary infraction attends the manifestation meeting

Nursing Service – Related Service

Check your case load names with the nurse Students with IEPs and who have IHPs

– Add Nursing Services as a related service by calling a meeting or doing an amendment to the IEP

– Attach a copy of the IHP to the IEP packet (IHP MUST be in the ESE file)

31

Transportation Documentation

Must be a related service in the IEP if the student receives special transportation

DON’T have to do the EXCENT Transportation page

DO have to complete transportation on the ACTION form

32

33

Changes to the Self-Contained ESE Programs

Last Year LD Self-contained EMD Self-contained TMD Self-contained PMD Self-contained ED Self-contained ASD Self-contained Dev.K Self-contained

New for 2011-12 MultiCat-I

MultiCat-II MultiCat-III ED Self-contained ASD Self-contained Transitional Kindergarten

Multi-categorical Classrooms Will Still…

Provide special services to students with a variety of disabilities under the case management of a single Special Education teacher and assistant.

Provide Special Education services in a structured, small-group setting, and

Address a range of abilities and needs, while supporting student access to the general curriculum.

34

35

Why the Change?

Office of Exceptional Children (State Dept.) will now allow non-categorical self-contained classrooms

SC Certification and teacher prep includes Multi-categorical rather than Generic or additional categorical (no autism, OHI, etc.)

Research identifies Multi-categorical programs as less restrictive than Categorical programs

Collaborative and Resource programs have become more responsive to student needs

Elementary RTI programs are specifying and addressing student instructional needs

36

Why the Change?

Recent on-site compliance review by the State Department

– Emphasis back to “needs-based” planning and individualized services

Best use of resources Closer geographic assignments Increase opportunity for success at high school level

37

The Plan – MultiCategorical

Change the name of the self-contained programs and USE THEM!

Continue “awareness” program– Last spring– This summer/fall

Initiate on-going training for MultiCat teachers – Overview– Best Practices for Multi-categorical instruction

Develop a task force to review and update self-contained request procedures for IEP teams

38

There’s a Continuum of Services!Consultative

Collaborative

Resource (including “intensive”)

Self-contained

Homebased/Hospital

Self-contained classes are DISTRICT programs– Requests for placements must follow procedures, including

request for intensive service consultation, even for resource students in the host school

– Self-contained teachers can only carry self-contained students on their caseloads as set by the ESE office.

To Finish Up

39